Megabox: The Music Service That Never Was

With last week's takedown of MegaUpload, more attention is being brought to the story that the people behind MegaUpload had been planning the launch of a new music service called MegaBox. MegaBox, in its beta stages, would allow artists to upload and sell their music to fans, all while keeping 90% of the earnings. MegaBox would also pay artists even if people download their music for free - as a result, some suspicion around the internet is that major labels like UMG were pushing for MegaUpload's recent takedown because of the threat MegaBox would present to traditional models of music distribution.

Everytime I read an article about MegaUpload, I get to the part about the founder, "Kim Dotcom" ... and then it's fucking hard to take anything else seriously. I keep just reading his name over and over again ... wait, is it really 'Dotcom' ... wait ... "Kim Dotcom" runs this business?

I could code Tom a quick "you must wait 45 seconds to download" script if he really wants one ...

I meant with the new program they were talking about. I didn't use Megaupload so I'm not really familiar with all this. All I know is that it took 45 seconds to start a download if you didn't have a paid membership. Haha. I just like the IDEA Tom has with Modlife, about giving artist control, and taking their band into their own hands. I wonder if something is fishy about the service, or if everyone is just blocked from it because they're on labels and the labels frown upon the idea (which judging by their reaction to this program, I doubt they would be fond of anything taking even more money away from them, regardless of it's benefits to the band).

The amount of distance people go to claim conspiracy / justify piracy really pisses me off some times. If labels were uncessary bands wouldn't use labels - its a simple as that. Once bands stop using labels, I'll completely agree labels are uncessary. Until then acting like they shouldn't be compenstated for the publishing/promotion work they do or that *you* get to decide how you want to consume *their* music is selfish. Sure it might make business smarts for the labels to embrace filesharing - that doesn't make it 'okay' to force them to do it. If you dislike how they conduct business, don't listen to the music they produce. I can't say "I think you are charing too much for this meal, so even though the bill says $30 I'm paying $20 and leaving". I should either pay the overpriced cost or not go to the resturant.

MegaUpload profited off illegal activities. I can't believe people are actually arguging they shouldn't have been shut down.

Interesting. Almost feels like there is an over saturation of music services, such minor differences between some of them. Paying the artist even when it's free though is pret-tayyy, pret-tayy, pret-tayy good.